Job 17
Revised Geneva Translation
17 “My spirit is broken. My days are cut off and the grave is ready for me.
2 “There are none but mockers with me, and my eye must dwell on their disobedience.
3 “Lay down, now, pledge for me with Yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?
4 “For You have hidden their heart from understanding. Therefore, You shall not exalt.
5 “For the eyes of his children shall fail who speaks flattery to friends.
6 “He has also made me a byword of the people, and I am as one spit on by them.
7 “My eye, therefore, is dim for grief, and all my strength like a shadow.
8 “The righteous shall be astonished at this. And the innocent shall be moved against the hypocrite.
9 “But the righteous will hold to his way. And he whose hands are pure shall increase strength.
10 “All you, therefore, return and come now. And I shall not find one wise among you.
11 “My days are past. My enterprises are broken. The thoughts of my heart
12 “have exchanged the night for the day and the light that approached for darkness.
13 “Though I hope, the grave shall be my house. I shall make my bed in the dark.
14 “I shall say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister.’
15 “Where now, then, is my hope? Or who shall consider the thing for which I hoped?
16 “It shall go down into the bottom of the pit. Surely they shall lie together in the dust.”
Job 17
King James Version
17 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.
2 Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?
3 Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?
4 For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
5 He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.
6 He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.
7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.
8 Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.
9 The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
10 But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.
11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.
12 They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.
13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.
14 I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.
15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?
16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.
Job 17
English Standard Version
Job Continues: Where Then Is My Hope?
17 “My spirit is broken; my days are (A)extinct;
(B)the graveyard is ready for me.
2 Surely there are mockers about me,
and my eye dwells on their (C)provocation.
3 “Lay down a pledge for me with you;
who is there who will put up (D)security for me?
4 Since you have closed their hearts to understanding,
therefore you will not let them triumph.
5 He who informs against his friends to get a share of their property—
the (E)eyes of his children will fail.
6 “He has made me (F)a byword of the peoples,
and I am one before whom men spit.
7 My (G)eye has grown dim from vexation,
and all my members are like (H)a shadow.
8 The upright are (I)appalled at this,
and the innocent stirs himself up against the godless.
9 Yet the righteous holds to his way,
and he who has (J)clean hands grows stronger and stronger.
10 But you, (K)come on again, all of you,
and I shall not find a wise man among you.
11 My (L)days are past; my plans are broken off,
the desires of my heart.
12 They (M)make night into day:
‘The light,’ they say, ‘is near to the darkness.’[a]
13 If I hope for (N)Sheol as (O)my house,
if I make my bed in darkness,
14 if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’
and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’
15 where then is my hope?
Who will see my hope?
16 Will it go down to the bars of (P)Sheol?
Shall we (Q)descend together (R)into the dust?”[b]
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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
